30 years after her main draw debut, seven-time major champion Venus Williams is set to make her triumphant return to the Coachella Valley. The 45-year-old icon, who last appeared in Tennis Paradise in 2024, has accepted a wild card into the women’s singles and doubles draw. 

“I’m so excited to be heading back to Indian Wells and can’t wait to return home to play in California,” Williams said, ahead of her tenth career appearance here. “This tournament is always such a special experience, and there’s nothing like competing in front of these incredible fans. 

Longevity, staying power, dedication to craft and pure passion. Fitting words to describe an American tennis icon, but they don’t do justice to the remarkable resilience that Williams is preparing to put on display this year in Tennis Paradise. 

To put it in perspective, let’s roll back the years. In her second main draw appearance at Indian Wells in 1997, a then-16-year-old Williams faced Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals. 

Now retired for 15 years, two-time champion Davenport will be in the Tennis Channel booth calling matches as Williams fights on, bidding to become the oldest woman to win a singles match in tournament history. 

The very next year, 1998, Williams faced Martina Hingis in her first of three career semifinals at Indian Wells.

Another case of Williams’ outfoxing time: Hingis would retire in 2003, at the age of 22, and again in 2007. 

The Swiss would return to the tour for her final comeback in 2013, solely to play doubles for four seasons. Williams, meanwhile, has never left. 

For three decades and counting, the Compton native continues to live her dream on her terms, and she will go down not just as a Hall of Famer who dominated the sport for extended stretches, but a perpetual source of inspiration that has forever captured the imagination of an adoring public. 

Whether it be singles, where she revolutionized the women’s game with head-spinning speed and power, or doubles, where she went 14-0 Grand Slam finals with her sister Serena, Williams legacy will be defined by her prodigious appetite for battle as well as her excellence. 

Stats don’t lie: Williams’ 30-year career includes 49 Tour-level singles titles, a World No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles, and a combined 23 Grand Slam titles across all competitions, including seven in singles.

Feeling patriotic? The Southern California native has also won four Olympic Gold Medals. 

Her body of work speaks volumes, as does her willingness to continue defying odds. The journey continues: Venus Williams, true treasure of tennis, still has more to prove.